Can you really make gravy in advance? Yes, you can! In fact, you can make it and refrigerate up to one week or freeze up to three months. I make as many dishes that I can the day or two before Thanksgiving. This way I can focus on cooking the turkey and enjoy my time with family and friends .
Heat oven to 400 F. degrees. Have a large roasting pan ready.
Arrange wings in a single layer pan. Scatter onions over top. Roast 1 1/4 hours until the wings are browned. Put wings and onions in a 5 to 6 quart pot. Add water to roasting pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on bottom. Add to pot and add 6 cups broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups) carrot & thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
Remove wings to a cutting board. When cool, pull off skin and meat. Discard skin, save meat for another use.
Strain broth into a 3-quart saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables, skin fat off broth and discard. If time permits, refrigerate broth overnight to make fat-skimming easier.
Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended & smooth.
Bring broth in a pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in broth-flour mixture and boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy and remove flour taste.
Stir in butter and pepper.
Serve or pour into containers if saving for latter.
Notes
If you want extra flavor, drain the fat off the pan drippings once the turkey is done on Thanksgiving Day and then stir them into the heated gravy.